Why You Should Use Lean To Greenhouses When Growing Vegetables
The nice thing about growing vegetables in a greenhouse is that you can raise plants from seeds and tend to them up until they mature, even when the weather is too cold for outdoor sowing. Many gardeners have already tried to raise vegetables in greenhouses during fall and winter with great success.
If this is your first time reading about lean-to greenhouses, this article will provide an explanation on what it is and provide some reasons why it’s best used to grow vegetables in your backyard.
What is a Lean-To Greenhouse?
A greenhouse, for starters, is a structure that serves as an artificial environment where you can raise your vegetables, ornamental plants, and fruit tree seedlings. The difference between raising those plants in your backyard and raising them within a greenhouse is that with the latter, you can raise as many plants as long as it can fit inside the greenhouse, even in deep winter. This is because a greenhouse allows sunlight to heat the interiors through glass or plastic windowpanes, even when it is too cold outside.
Meanwhile, a lean-to greenhouse, as its name suggests, is a greenhouse that’s built to connect with a bare wall in your backyard. The bare wall will be the most permanent part of the structure. Then, three other walls are built so that your greenhouse will look like a rectangular block. The roof and part of one side of the block should be made of glass or plastic windowpanes. Some may want the roof of the greenhouse to slope.
Why Are Lean To Greenhouses Beneficial and Used For Growing Vegetables?
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You Can Raise Vegetables In Any Season
As mentioned, since a greenhouse can trap the rays of the sun to provide heat in fall and winter, you will be able to raise vegetables all year round, if you like. You won’t have a difficult time growing vegetables that are off-season since you can control their living conditions based on what you’re raising.
Some factors to consider if you’re planning to raise vegetables all year round are the following:
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The extent of Gardening Plans –
If you intend to do a lot of vegetable gardening, then the greenhouse you choose will probably have to accommodate those plans. For some, a regular greenhouse might be sufficient while for others the greenhouse might have to be as big as a house. Your gardening ambition will influence how much you will sow, and what season you plan to sow. There might also be some gardeners who want their greenhouse to complement raised bed gardening or their efforts in making rows straight into the yard’s soil. So, this factor is up to you.
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Extra Systems Built-In –
You will also find your decision to be influenced by some other factors. Ventilation, electrical lights, water supply, and sink drainage—will all be factors to consider when you’re planting vegetables in a greenhouse. Generally, the more expensive greenhouses may be fitted with some (if not all) of these systems. You just have to decide if those systems are necessities or luxuries.
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Easy to Build
A Lean-To Greenhouse, in particular, is a good option since it is less costly to build compared to regular greenhouses. You can try to build your own Lean To Greenhouse if you are not afraid of a challenge. Or you can simply buy one online which may be less costly and easier to assemble.
Read More: Do-It-Yourself Greenhouse Home, It’s So Easy
If you’re thinking of building either a full-size greenhouse or a Lean-To Greenhouse, you can check out these factors to help you come up with a decision:
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Size of Your Backyard –
You will notice that this factor alone will dictate the size of the greenhouse you can build or buy. Some people are blessed with a sizable backyard so they can opt for a full-size greenhouse. If you only have a small space to work with, then a Lean-To Greenhouse might be more practical to set in place.
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Cost of the Greenhouse –
Building your own greenhouse can be pricey since you will have to pay for the laborers’ time and effort (aside from acquiring the materials first). This may also be a factor for those who intend to just buy their own greenhouse online. Since there are many types of Lean To Greenhouses online, you can canvass for prices as you go.
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More Conducive to Raising Plants
In some places, a greenhouse might not heat up to the level that you want. That is why some gardeners opt for Lean To Greenhouses instead of a regular greenhouses. The sloping roof can be made of glass or plastic panes, which makes it more conducive to raising plants indoors. Some gardeners also like to add grow lights inside their greenhouse, in case the climate doesn’t permit adequate sunlight to enter. But that’s just an option and it’s not mandatory.
When the weather starts to get warmer, you can still use your greenhouse, though you might need more ventilation. So, when you are shopping around for a greenhouse online, you should inquire if the greenhouse has ventilation built into its structure. You can also use the greenhouse as temporary storage for gardening tools. You may have to connect it to your garden water supply, with a functional sink either inside the greenhouse or beside it. These will make it more convenient to do your gardening whatever the season.
Final Takeaway
Gardening is really a fun hobby to have, especially since you can eat your harvests eventually. Buying a Lean-To Greenhouse can help you with your hobby so that you can raise vegetable plants easily at any time of the year. If you are thinking of buying your own greenhouse, be sure the specifications are accurate.
If, on the other hand, you intend to build your own, you will need to factor in the cost of labor and cost of materials carefully so that your greenhouse will literally be a work of art that you can take pride in. In the end, the rewards of raising your own vegetables in your Lean-To Greenhouse will be really tasty indeed.
Read More: Ultimate Guide To Year-Round Gardening With Greenhouses
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